The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-04
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.
The Hon. Frank p. Bonds Argu.
ment at BENTON, Tenn.
Argument Agaiost tho Proposed
Prehtbi,ton . nm End msnt-Con-
situtionnI Limitations.

hho iNho"iuE AZ ioPoib VI thc nu-
dress OF the Hon. Flank p. Bond, ct
Kentep, Tenn, Thursday, ia oppoei.
ton 70 the prohibition amendment,
the occasion being joint debate be-
tween himself and Mr.. Palmer:
LADIES AND GxsrtEn,E AND FELLow Ciu- |
sHss oY 0BIoS AND GIBSON COUNTESS: IL has |
bssu my pleasure and honor 10 meet you on |
other occasions. and TO sp>ak 10 you on other |
question:. shall speak to you today on . |
subject Of param untimp1rtanco. / speak |
my honest sentim nts and ask yoHr patient |
attention and sonsidera lon Of what 81 III |
say: IL Is a question non. partisan, yet |
political. Holding that all men who have |
must. In duty bound, stand ny them aud |
givs the 70 ssons Of the faith that is in them, |
TO the end that discussion msy make clear
the truth, | appear before you today. As far |
struggle Of the human family has
been between liberty and Authority-author-
ity claiming, liberty denying the right of
one portion Of the race 70 rule and opprsss
this contest. this struggle between subjeei
or certain ella 'ses OF subjects and toe gov
ernment. The King was ruler by right Of
conquest Or according to the prevailing
ruler claiming to be the yi,ssersnt Of God.
Under this condition Of things there was
psrpstu.l striie-the idea being that
the Government was mot in
.ympathy with the governed, but
interests, The people, or subjects OF the
King, T, spending TO Innate ana uod given
aspirations, we're ever beating aga INST the
bars OF tho cage Of oppression, and tho King,
with his fsvOrite class, was busy forging
new and stronger letters to keep me D, norm
TO be tree, in subsection. Az civilization
advanced and the clouds Of isrufance and
superstition were dispelled BY the ,unsh,ne
Of education a. It ,ped on it, race OF progress,
mon began 70 suction the superstition prev
alent, md to inquire n IL were true
tbst rulers had t,sh's that others
no wrong, ana the idea has been handed
down 10 the present d,y. Mon hen be an
| TO devise meaos ior.TulinE Themselves, The
idea obtained that the majority must rule,
| and In questions OF gov rnme tai pol cy TO
| leave tho q iestions TO all qlaliaed citizens
| seemed the proper course to pursue, bat
here was presented anoth her trouble Nis-
dom staught that the rule Of the majority
| would ole prove tyrann zeal and Oppressive
AZ mon, blinded By passion or fanaticism,
would forget the into est Of the individual
and his Tighs 10 carrying gut their
views Of what wa. best for. the
race. Then It was teat individual
rights, VIII oh arc sometimes termed inalien.
able rights, were recognised, and the effort
began TO be made 10 impose restrictions
upon the powers OF rulers and states.
Under the Aneieat goyernments, claiming
that ruers and kings eers AppOinied By
God, II was Logical TO hold that as the king
acted for Got he should have the risht 70
| rule aud gu de them 10 their moral. 50 ritual
and political lives. when the American
tanned = different idea. They repadiated
the tuporttition that kings had Any rights
not gIvea TO other men, and held that ell
men WON bern &c and equal, and tina:
every man was endowed with e,r'aia ~
rish, Of life. liberty and too pursuit
OF happiness; that mao IL cspable
ofstlt government, and needs DO mister.
either king or state, to look after him, en-
espt In so lar as IL may be ne eaBry 10 ia 1t
his respssses upon the ri,hts Of sthsrs.
Thersiofe the treat men u the republic, the
great mon Of the raes-Thon.s Jsnsr,ou.
sd,,sn md s,, the ,ssS l ~ nam
generation been eIeelloi. Thsy, holding the
truths OF equality and beTty, iound.d To !.
government on the idea Of Individual lib
ruls Of the majority, ,utj CT = such ibdi.
tions To hoi d that the IN J ritz shalI rul,
In all matters IL to insist th.t a company
ofiS eSS S, !, STATE could yot' e take
bat TO hold that In al matter,
beyond the right int erent In every indi
yidual 10 DO ~ he likes 90 III I he does mol
. | ~
/, say that In matters affecting directly all tbs
people, but which 10 not go 10 the dspriva
4 | ton Of an individual Of his natural rights-
TIE majority must and should rule. There Il
lint 70 me ,ssi.lin,'9 ip,sIisr1'nes Of eo
! ence. ana 10 hud thAt limit Aud maintain 1
against eucrnAc hment 10 AZ dispensible I,
, proper condition OF human affair, as pre-
j lection Gail.t politisil defpoiism 1ba
a limits reached on the principle that indi
vidually or collectively mankind l. war
rsnted In interfering with the libert!
= Of Aftion Of anyone Of their nun
b. her for self protection, ard no fur
q ter. 1ha. The only purpose for whiol
\ power can be right ully orercised over an
y member Of n civilized Community aEainI
l. his Will II 10 prevent ba m 10 others.
a Its hc'o ina, Royefnm'i tai ,nierfer nc
eom,s 70, scsofd ng % the rue th ory Of u
. government ard the doctrines o. the Demo
!. cratic Iary. Then, my f,llou citiI ms
the gu, Il on arises whsthsf Or not tho sals Q
intoxicating liquor, IL an Interference W q
= or a trespass up n the rights OF Others. an
A vhsth = OF not the State has riTht /, sup
!, p,efs the manuiseture ahd sale II the same
WA 10 tss ject sad putpoie Of th
Amendmentf lsuto prevent tho sale, or
q IL 20 prevent tbs u'e by him g. whom "
a sold. that u tbs trouble Ms been. pr-cipI
y tstsd upon the peoplei IND Jubtodl
u 20 pfeven' dnnkihg Of intoI
e ic.nts, for Prohibition. Of thei
lion Of their use. that /, Il prohibition pro
Q hibits, When tho purpose Of the amend
ment IL 20 prevent you and me from drink
ipE sny iutosi eating liquor, a. a beverage
.sSusS Iss rSi, Of sss SsjS S III hoId &.
y liauor 10 not good Tor me a d that | caunC
q vel ightI that morally, intellectually 40
n spiritually they have vested right 10 m
- aud therefore shall rot do as like, b.
u my inaliensb TiEau under this rule
q wheie 10 the truth that have a risht 70 "a
. Lg,uit q h,PpiDe" a. seem, 2 N. bs,,
= iiu.IPy S@Ss.ds3. / h"s NO iisl
II think, Tor u. 10 their opinion, 1 do OF ip.a
WRONG, 'ssI can g :. The Lsshl''pS. IN
. told that 10 70 not the man who drinks thu
= tho amendment teeks 70 reach, bat n
+ uaec In liquors that IL sought TO be pr
vented.
% OF cour,s, this 4, not tue, or We uoul
o, not hear the prohibition oratoU tails AboI
IN the horrors Of iniemperance, Tho lssi,li
. ton asksd IL really, directed at him WI
nj *. not can. him ~ ssS , ,sa; 30.
will Jou suppress ~ There must
some reasons and some Just rule BY uhis
.s n M any su,iSs., be see, a.. / m rSs ,sia
that a man ahou q not hs pefmittei 10 mir
y Iced bccauss psoyls male u into bule
With which 20 MI men, ana others misl
I. agree with mo, and bayiLEA majority, III
:. less there u some lsEil ruis or limit, thl
" ufeful industr, mRht be tupprts seed ~ N
~ Lesi.iatufe. Then wh'fe u tho truo line
10 which . state usy say 10 IT, citiIef ., q
shall MOI ensAso In this business or thal
~ IL ~ this. v hen the trade Engaged N, N
Ia | guods 90 a are ne osafily tsrHiui IN ttss
on theNsrlves- that h, hit % use tho 4 70,
sold would nocowarily pfudlre harm II g.
n. ~ true, then state ~ warrants
In urder IT, pJlcs rowcfs Ia pr
"a h biunE q cUntnuAn . % the tran
" "a suth Epods. Az tho Law writgl
W putit,ii he article IL malum per $50 III
"a Il cannot BE- hArmlosslv o. bsnrtleiallv use
then the state may prohibit, ald net othe
= VIE IL uhiskB, vine % boeF tnala II \,
y, tof Cannot they, or either of them. be ",
10 under any CIR sum stances without harm an
eren with euod tesultti MhY. toe amen
" mout and ~ dotsndsu cnucedo thu yht
~ they fAy 10 10 orly ~ a beverage and n,
NJ othtrwifs thsy seek It, suppression. Have
an Article snc'cd, q 81 Z Of nature, Viii,
may be very usoiui 10 the human anil, III
T. becau'e n " abused, ahd tha few no 10 q
tfomes, get dfunk ami make Olls ~ IN N
tclyss, why u must DO fuptte ltod, and m
II Fisht.-a natural right which mtn enloJ,
I 49,